If my child has cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), does this mean that he/she is lactose intolerant?

If your child suffers from cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), do ‘milk allergy’ and ‘lactose intolerance’ and these two terms are often incorrectly used interchangeably to describe reactions to milk allergy. Although some of the symptoms may appear to be similar, they are in fact, two separate disorders which have absolutely nothing to do with one another.

A milk allergy is the immune system’s response to one or more of the proteins found in cow’s milk. While there are over 20 proteins in cow’s milk that may cause allergic reactions, casein and whey are the two main proteins responsible for the vast majority of allergies [1].

Lactose intolerance occurs as a result of the decrease or absence of an enzyme called lactase, in the gastrointestinal tract. This enzyme is necessary to break down the milk sugar lactose into glucose and galactose that can be utilised by the body [2].

Is CMPA fatal?

Rarely children with milk protein allergy can have an anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening process during which swelling around the trachea can cause significant breathing difficulty and death [6]. Although rarely life-threatening, cow’s milk allergy can still produce some painful or frustrating signs and symptoms in your child.

If my child suffers from CMPA, can I use goat’s milk as an alternative?

Goat, sheep and other ruminant milk contain similar proteins to cow’s milk and are considered to have a high degree of cross-reactivity. That means that people with an allergy to cow’s milk are likely to react to other ruminant milk too [7]. Soy based formulas may be a suitable alternative in children with CMPA whose nutritional needs are not being met.

Do all milk formulas contain cow’s milk proteins?

Soy-based formulas are free from lactose and cow’s milk proteins, and have been successfully used in the management of digestive and allergic diseases in children [8].

Ref:
[1] AllergyMedSites.com - Milk Allergy -
http://www.allergymedsites.com/article.php?id=56&from=&s_doctor_id=
[2] Experts123.com -
http://www.experts123.com/q/are-milk-allergy-and-lactose-intolerance-the-same-thing.html
[3] Skripak JM, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007;120:1172 – 1177, Volume 120, Number 5.
[4] Livestrong.com - Allergic to cow’s milk protein –
http://www.livestrong.com/article/268566-allergic-to-cows-milk-protein/#ixzz1IpjnSUfI
[5] Causes of a food allergy - Milk allergy and intolerance
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/food-allergy/Pages/Causes.aspx
[6] Livestrong.com - Cow’s milk protein sensitivity in infants
http://www.livestrong.com/article/349460-cows-milk-protein-sensitivity-in-infants/#ixzz1Ir6AWn5w
[7] Milk Alternatives and Dairy-free Beverages
http://foodallergies.about.com/od/dairy/tp/milkalternatives.htm
[8] The wonders of soy. Managing milk allergy and intolerance in children. Abbott Nutrition.